What\u2019s the best way to write a powerful speech? Can you learn how to write a prepared speech with impact?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn how to write a prepared speech that makes a lasting impression, you\u2019ll need to consider strategies related to the following: your overall message, three or fewer key ideas to include, your opening, simplicity, engagement, and your closing. If you can do all these things well, you’ll have a very powerful speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for more about speech-writing strategies for impactful public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve organized experts\u2019 advice on how to write a prepared speech into six subtopics, ranging from choosing your message to writing a powerful closing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In TED Talks<\/em><\/a>, TED curator Chris Anderson suggests you begin writing your speech by determining your throughline<\/strong><\/a>\u2014the lesson you want your audience to take away<\/strong>. Think of this as the point of your speech. For example, if your topic is your trip to Alaska during which you saw how the Inuits live, your throughline could be, \u201cPeople who live in small, self-sufficient communities live more creatively than people in big cities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Public Speaking for Success<\/em><\/a>, Dale Carnegie adds that speeches tend to have one of four common goals<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve crafted your message, outline your ideas and plan how your speech will unfold. In Talk Like TED<\/em><\/a>, Carmine Gallo recommends that, when choosing your talking points, you use the Rule of Three<\/a>: Include a maximum of three ideas in any one speech.<\/strong> Research suggests that the brain can\u2019t process more than three ideas at once, so if you add any more than this to your talk, your audience simply won\u2019t remember them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gallo also suggests creating a message map\u2014<\/a>a one-page summary of everything you want to include in your talk\u2014to help you plan so you know going into your speech what you\u2019ll cover. Create one using three steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carnegie offers another practical speech-planning technique: Dictate your speech<\/a> to explore different ways of arranging the ideas. Speak aloud into a voice recorder as if you\u2019re giving the speech, and you\u2019ll begin to notice better ways of fitting the ideas together. Transcribe your dictations for editing in a word processor, and repeat this process until you\u2019re sure of your structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gallo\u2019s and Carnegie\u2019s techniques are mostly for you<\/em> to conceptualize what you\u2019ll be speaking about, but Maxwell advises that you also present your outline to your audience<\/em> so they can see the skeleton of your speech and thus better follow your talking points.<\/strong> Experiment with ways to organize your points so that the audience can easily absorb them and see how they\u2019re connected\u2014for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have an outline, write an opening for your speech that will hook your audience. Anderson explains that you only have about <\/strong>60 seconds to keep your audience\u2019s attention<\/strong><\/a> once you begin your speech<\/strong>. He suggests you say something dramatic within the first minute, show a fascinating image (this can be beautiful, confusing, or funny), or pique their curiosity with a question or counterintuitive statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Likewise, Carnegie recommends you keep your opening succinct<\/a> by refining it to a sharp, powerful sentence or two. He adds that there are several weak ways of opening a speech<\/a> that you should avoid:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many experts suggest you express your ideas simply when writing your speech,<\/strong> which, as Maxwell explains, allows your audience to better understand and remember them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one of his other books, The Bezos Blueprint<\/em><\/a>, Gallo offers tips you can use<\/a> to keep your speech simple and clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip 1: Use simple language.<\/strong> Express your ideas simply enough that the average high school student could understand them. Maxwell expresses a similar sentiment but suggests using language that an eighth grader<\/a> can understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip 2: Vary sentence length and structure, but use short sentences and simple words most of the time<\/strong>. The more complex, important, or stressful the subject matter, the more important it is to write plainly. Choose words of Anglo-Saxon origin rather than those of Latin or Greek origin\u2014for example, a Latinate word might facilitate<\/em> your efforts to sound smart, but an Anglo-Saxon word will help<\/em> your audience understand you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip 3: Use active language. <\/strong>Begin sentences with clear subjects and vivid verbs. This keeps the \u201caction\u201d moving and keeps your audience engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip 4: Trim unnecessary words and ideas. <\/strong>Keep sentences short and direct by avoiding qualifiers and hedge words\u2014they add fluff and feel indecisive. Likewise, Maxwell says you should trim excess information<\/a> that might distract from your main points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make your ideas more understandable and to captivate your audience, experts recommend that you incorporate a variety of engaging content<\/a><\/strong> into your speech. Let\u2019s look at several ways you can do this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy 1: Tell stories.<\/strong> In How Highly Effective People Speak<\/em><\/a>, competitive public speaker Peter D. Andrei explains that people understand the world through stories<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s how we learn<\/a> and how our ancestors passed down information over thousands of years. When an argument is presented as a story, we relate to the people in the story and imagine what it would be like if the same things happened to us. Andrei specifically recommends telling a story about a single<\/em> person because this makes it easier for the listener to imagine themselves in the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heinrichs adds that you should describe sensations in detail<\/a>. For example, describe the scent of your childhood home or the feeling of your stomach dropping. This helps your audience \u201cexperience\u201d the event alongside you, and they\u2019ll react to it the same way you did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gallo offers additional recommendations for making your story more memorable<\/a>. He suggests incorporating the following elements into your story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy 2: Use visuals. <\/strong>Maxwell suggests you use body language, visual metaphors, or actual visual aids<\/a> like physical props and images to help illustrate your ideas. Andrei explains that memories based on visual perception<\/a> stick out more clearly in our minds, so they\u2019ll provoke a stronger emotional reaction and be easier to recall later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gallo provides an example of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos<\/a> using a vivid metaphor to condense a complex idea: To illustrate his philosophy on team size, Bezos explained, \u201cWe try to create teams<\/a> that are no larger than can be fed by two pizzas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy 3: Engage multiple senses. <\/strong>Gallo recommends presenting content that triggers a combination of the senses of hearing, sight, and touch<\/a>. It\u2019ll help your audience to remember what you\u2019ve said: Research has shown that multisensory experiences are much more memorable than single-sense experiences. For example, if you\u2019re pitching a product, you could pass a prototype around your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategy 4: Incorporate humor: <\/strong>Maxwell writes that getting your audience to laugh increases feelings of intimacy<\/a> and makes them more receptive to your words. However, he suggests you only use humor if it comes naturally to you. Gallo adds that humor increases your likeability<\/a> and suggests four ways to incorporate humor into your speeches and presentations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anderson writes that an audience will remember a talk <\/strong>based on how it ends<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> He provides several options for powerful closings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Closing 1: Apply what you\u2019ve discussed to a broader situation. <\/strong>For example, \u201cIf this management style can transform Fortune 500 companies, imagine what it could do in the White House.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Closing 2: Declare a personal mission<\/a>. <\/strong>End your speech<\/a> by making a proclamation about how you<\/em> are going to use this knowledge to improve the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Closing 3: Leave your audience with a dream. <\/strong>Paint a picture of a better world. Inspire your audience with your dream for the future\u2014but be sure to avoid clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Closing 4: Call them to action. <\/strong>Ask your audience to take the information you just gave them and do something with it. For example, \u201cIf we all contact our congressmen, they\u2019ll have to listen.\u201d Maxwell offers another tip for encouraging action<\/a>: Help your audience imagine what the positive change looks like and show them how to take the first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Strategy #2: Outline No More Than Three Ideas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Strategy #3: Create a Powerful Opening<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Strategy #4: Express Your Ideas Simply<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strategy #5: Incorporate Engaging Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Strategy #6: Create a Memorable Closing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n